


SHIELD Company Picnic

by SecretShameWriting



Category: Marvel, Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: Awkward Flirting, F/M, Fluff, Romantic Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-02
Updated: 2016-10-02
Packaged: 2018-08-19 04:43:24
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,562
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8190484
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SecretShameWriting/pseuds/SecretShameWriting
Summary: It's the annual SHIELD company picnic and Independence Day celebration, and you volunteered yourself for guard duty. Much to your surprise you find *The* Captain America in your section.





	

“All clear in section 10, sir.” you gave the reply to the little voice in your ear, holding your fingers up to your earpiece to be able to make out the words over the din of the crowd.  


It was all good time, hamburgers and hot dogs had been eaten and children were chasing each other throwing water balloons, even if the sun was set to go down in a few minutes they were going to hang onto it for all that they could. Well, not all the children, you smiled at a little girl who raced a melting ice pop with her eyes already searching the sky above.  


You walked up the hill that was in your section, getting a good view over the checkered picnic blankets and folding camp chairs that littered the grass below. For several minutes you watched, not even knowing what you were looking for. A drunken fight? Aliens from another dimension? Some maniac with super powers wanting to destroy and/or take over the world? Working for SHIELD, you got the full gambit. When, out of the corner of your eye, you spotted some red, white, and blue.  


It had been all over for the combination company picnic and Independence Day celebration, but usually in flag form, most people didn’t get star spangled. Doing your best to be casual, you glanced around with an amused smile before you looked to the person. Hah, dressed up as the Captain. Now that’s holiday spirit. The costume was really good, certainly some attention to detail. Maybe it’s Coulson, come back to life. That thought had just made you sad, your smile disappeared in an instant as looked you to the ground. 

Stark had made his appearance, or loud announcement as it was. And you swore that had seen Dr. Banner just ahead of you in the food line earlier that afternoon. It was entirely possible the Avengers were here, and that was Captain America.  


You nervously fidgeted with the wire than wound behind your ear and down into your collar, while it was troublesome it didn’t deserve the tug you gave it every few minutes. Cursing yourself for being shy you took a deep breath to fill your lungs with courage then forced yourself to walk over to the figure.  


“Captain-…Rogers?” you asked so timidly you made yourself blush.  


A pair of blue eyes, their color accentuated by the bright orange hue in the sky, flicked up to you from his spot sitting on the grass. “You can just call me Steve.” he confirmed your assumption with a soft smile. He tipped his head and pointed a warning finger, “When I’m off duty that is. Otherwise, it’s 10 laps for anyone who doesn’t address me as Captain.”  


The slightest chuckle in his voice told you it was a joke but you couldn’t help but blurt out “Yessir!” and didn’t know what to say next.  


Steve helped with that, asking “All clear?”  


Giving a nod you explain “Yes. The worst we’ve had was a riot nearly breaking out when they ran out of cotton candy.” starting to feel like yourself again.  


“That’s a shame.” he commented with a smirk and looking back down at the festivities below, the last minute talent show that some of the other Operations agents had put together. The one you had taken the guard shift to avoid.  


“Should be a great place to watch the fireworks from..” you said, trying to keep up conversation. However it just made you think to how many veterans, soldiers, and agents suffered from PTSD and the fireworks were a terrible trigger for-and Cap had certainly been in more than his fair share of firefights. That’s why there had been another party inside the SHIELD building, with all the video games and movies for distraction that you could possibly fit into a hanger, basically turning it into a sound proofed rec room. But you were sure that’s where he would be if he didn’t mean to be right here.  


“Quite the view” Steve agreed looking up at you with a smile, that quickly faded as he recalled that being the summary of one of the lines that Tony had taught him from the crash course Modern Dating 101. He shook his head lightly and looked down to the empty bottle in his hand where he was resting his arms across bent knees, and tapped it nervously against the inside of his palm.  


Pointing to it you asked “Can I get you another one?” with a grin that said you’d be glad to do it, after everything he had done it seemed the least you could offer.  


“Nah,” Steve said dismissively, looking from you to the bottle and back again as he set it down in the grass. “With the serum, it doesn’t do anything anyway. It’s just for the taste, I guess.”  


“Eeww” your face contorting in disgust as you joked “But beer tastes so gross.” You added a playful shrug, offering “I never liked it.”  


Steve nodded at the bottle and agreed “Me either.”  


“Lemonade, then? I usually just pace around aimlessly anyway.”  


“Nah,” he waved it off. “You’re on duty, I can get my own-”  


“No offense,” you said while shifting your weight. You felt that you were grinning like a schoolgirl and nervously touched your fingertips to your mouth as you sucked at your lips, controlling yourself and resisting a cocky smile. “But with you in my section, I don’t think I have anything to worry about.”  


“I don’t know about that,” Steve said raising an eyebrow, “trouble seems to follow me wherever I go.”  


“Well, if I can’t get you anything, I want to at least tell you: Thank you for your service.” Rolling your eyes along with a nervous bobble, not knowing how to sum it all up, you tack on “For everything.”  


Sincerely Steve replied “Thank you for yours.”  


You laugh at the comparison, gesturing vaguely to the SHIELD tower. “Eighty percent of my job is looking at a computer screen.”  
“That’s just the way it is now.”  


He had gone right from chasing HYDRA through Europe to the technological game of cloak and dagger. You didn’t really know which was better or worse, both were war. You supposed, given the choice between them, you would stay where you were. The total casualties were less, though the total risk was more. You would take a holoscreen data pad in your hand over a M1 Garand anyday.  


Giving a curt, respectful nod you step away telling Steve to “Enjoy the show, sir.”  


“Wait.” Glancing over your shoulder you saw Steve poised with one hand flat on the ground and one leg ready to spring right to his feet, but had restrained himself. Instead he slid his two hands together before gesturing to a spot next to him. “Maybe we could watch the crowd and the fireworks together?”  


How could you refuse an offer to watch a firework show with Captain America himself.  


As the sky faded and deepened from pink and orange to scarlet, to indigo, the two of you sat there and people watched. You talked about the talent show, and even told Steve more about some of your co workers that had performed.  


Then the speakers at the bottom of the hill, lining the stage began to blare The Star-Spangled Banner at max volume. You joined in with the rest, putting a hand over your heart and swaying as you gave a horrible rendition, grinning wildly over your shoulder at Steve who sat there holding in his laughter with a hand across his chest as well.  


Something he couldn’t do as you held ‘brave’ as long as your lungs could take it, or rather until the first firework went off with a bassy _thum_ and a _crack!_ , causing you to jump as the sparks shimmered down from the sky. Just like Steve you threw back your head, and laughed in spite of yourself.  


Sitting back down and leaning to rest on your arms you both watched the show, being in more silent awe than anything, though you did both agree the deep blue, the kind that was nearly purple, was your favorite color of fireworks. It was the best thing all day. You resisted the urge to slowly slide closer. Cursing yourself for a fool, focusing on the fireworks as you pushed the thought of Steve’s hand being inches from yours…  


“Team Beta and Delta to the parking lot.” buzzed in your ear.  


You looked up to find Steve’s eyes on you, not the show above, he knew. “Sorry you’re going to miss the finale.” he said.  


“It’s okay,” you groaned, pushing back to your feet, and dusting your pants off to linger for a moment longer. “Just going to the parking lot to be ready to direct traffic. I can still see it.” You leaned down to snatch the empty bottle that had been sitting on the empty grass between you two,knowing you were going past twenty trash cans on the way there. “Lemme get that for you.” You offered with a smile that halted any refusal. You had been too caught up eyeing the bottle, and bidding him “Night.” that you had failed to notice your badge laying face down in the grass where your belt clip had failed.

**Author's Note:**

> Set it up for a part 2 but no set idea of what I want to do, so send me a suggestion of where you would like it to go. Help me please !


End file.
